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Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series was a science fiction television series that showed from 1992 to 1998. It was an Off shoot of the 1986 feature film but with a slight twist: Connor MacLeod didn't win the prize and there are still thousands of Immortals in existence post 1985. The series features Duncan MacLeod (played by Adrian Paul) as the main character in the series. He is a fellow Scottish clansman and Conner Macleod's cousin. In fact, Christopher Lambert appeared in the pilot episode so as to pass the torch to Adrian Paul. The series was an international hit and was nominated three times for the Gemini Awards and once for a Saturn Award in 1998. There was talk of a remake of the series back in 2009 with Conner MacLeod as the main character. So far there is no more information out now. History The pilot episode established MacLeod as living quietly with his girlfriend Tessa Noël (played by Alexandra Vandernoot). They were co-proprietors of the antique shop MacLeod & Noël Antiques. The pilot introduced Richie Ryan (Stan Kirsch) as a thief who entered Duncan's shop and witnessed the confrontation between Duncan, evil Immortal Slan Quince (Richard Moll) and Duncan's fellow clansman Connor MacLeod, the hero from the movies. It was established that Duncan had lived nearly 400 years, and that there were many such Immortals in the world. Connor came to Duncan to ask him to return to The Game and help good win over evil, where "The Game" is the term used by the Immortals to describe their hunting of one another, seeking "Quickenings" by beheading their opponents. Duncan had hidden from other Immortals for some time, removing himself from The Game. Hunted by Quince, Duncan had no choice but to face him and by the end of the first episode, Slan had been defeated and Duncan was clearly caught up in The Game again. Storylines revolved around Duncan MacLeod and his relationship with mortals and other Immortals. These relationships were a theme in the series, especially Duncan MacLeod's relationship towards his friends, family, lovers and foes (see Duncan MacLeod's relationships). As the series progressed, there were changes in concept and normal growth in the characters and their relationships. Several recurring Immortal characters such as Amanda and Methos became frequent guests on the show and the Watchers like Joe Dawson were introduced in season 2. Season 5 was supposed to be the final season, but at the last minute season six was approved. By that time, almost all the actors had signed on for other projects. Adrian was totally booked, and the others only had a month or two free. That is why the season features different main characters and features Duncan far less. The intention to segue into a spin-off series may also have been a reason. In the final episode of season 5, "Archangel", the character of Richie Ryan was killed and the supernatural demon Ahriman was introduced into the storyline.This was met with harsh criticisim from fans and caused a sharp decline with the sixth season. Of the 13 episodes of season six, two did not feature MacLeod, while a few showed him in cameos while the producers experimented with introducing a new female Immortal character for a spin-off series. None of these were chosen, and what came to be Highlander: The Raven would feature recurring character "Amanda" in a starring role, though it would be canceled after one season. Immortals All Immortals age normally until their first deaths (always violent), at which time they "resurrect" for the first time. Afterward, they do not age, and can only be killed by beheading. All Immortals are sterile. Immortals have normal susceptibility to the things that are fatal to mortal humans, and will "die" from them, only to resurrect shortly thereafter. Immortals sense the presence of nearby Immortals, according to the commentary on the first season boxed set, a phenomenon that the writers of the series called "The Buzz". This term was, according to the season one, episode one commentary, never actually used in the series. The term was also used by Tony Gronick, sound supervisor and mixer from the series in an interview on page 148 in "Highlander: The Complete Watcher's Guide. When an Immortal is beheaded, there is a powerful energy release from their body called the Quickening. This energy is signified by tearing winds and electrical arcs, and is destructive to electrical and mechanical items. This energy is absorbed by the Immortal who actually took the dead Immortal's head. When no Immortal is nearby, as in the case of an immortal's head being removed in an accident, suicide or murder by a mortal, the Quickening dissipates. It is said in to contain the power, wisdom, and experience of the beheaded Immortal. Duncan explains this to immortal Felice Martine, AKA Felicia Martins (singer Joan Jett) in "Free Fall" Season 1, Episode 5. In a Quickening, although the basic personality of the victorious Immortal normally remains at the fore, the personality of the beheaded Immortal can be imprinted in their personality. This is referred to as a "dark quickening" in "Something Wicked" Season 4, Episode 13. Duncan's immortal friend Coltec had absorbed evil from the quickenings he received and became evil himself. Duncan was forced to kill Coltec and absorbed the evil himself for a while, but with help from Methos he was able to overcome this in the second part of this two part episode arc, "Deliverance" Episode 14. Immortals are engaged in an ongoing struggle they call The Game. The ultimate goal is to kill all other Immortals until only one remains, a concept referenced in the films, series title sequence, and by the show's characters themselves using the phrase, "there can be only one." This Immortal will then receive The Prize. No one knows what the Prize actually is, though many speculate as to its nature. The Game has two firm rules: that there can be no fighting on holy ground (see Immortal (Highlander)) and that once a battle between two immortals has been joined, no one may interfere. In the episode "Little Tin God" (Season 5, Episode 8), Watcher Joe Dawson hinted that in all recorded Watcher history, there was only one case where two immortals fought on holy ground. This was in Pompei in 79 AD, when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The Gathering According to Duncan's introductory voiceover, the series is set during the time of The Gathering. However, as ever more Immortals were introduced as the series continued, the concept of the Gathering started to lose coherence within the format of the series and was quietly dropped as a theme. Watchers and Hunters The Watchers are a secret society that covertly observes the lives of the Immortals without revealing themselves. Each Immortal is assigned a Watcher, whose sole job is to monitor and record their activities. The Hunters, on the other hand, are an offshoot of the Watchers, with the stated goal of killing all Immortals. Location Although Immortals are scattered around the world, the events of the series are most notably located in Vancouver, British Columbia and Paris, France. However, flashbacks during the series often brought the show to a variety of locations. The series often switched locations from Seattle/Vancouver to Paris at the midway point of each season, with the exception of season six which was filmed in Paris. While in Paris, Duncan lived on a barge located on the Seine river. In the Pacific Northwest, Duncan first lived in his antiques store and then in an apartment above his martial arts dojo—both in the fictional city of "Seacouver, WA". Narration Each episode began with an opening montage of scenes from Duncan's life, over which was a narration giving a brief overview of the series' theme. The first few episodes of the first season were narrated by Duncan himself: “ 'I am Duncan MacLeod, born four hundred years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. I am Immortal and I am not alone. For centuries we have waited for the time of the Gathering, when the stroke of a sword and the fall of a head will release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be only one.' ” This narration was slightly changed in the show's seventh episode, "Mountain Men" (again by Duncan): “ 'I was born four hundred years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. I am immortal and I am not alone. Now is the time of the Gathering, when the stroke of a sword will release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be only one.' ” The narration changed again in the second season, when Watcher Joe Dawson was introduced (narrative by Joe): “ 'He is immortal. Born in the Highlands of Scotland four hundred years ago, he is not alone. There are others like him - some good, some evil. For centuries, he has battled the forces of darkness, with Holy Ground his only refuge. He cannot die, unless you take his head, and with it, his power. In the end, there can be only one. He is Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander.' ” The narration changed again at the beginning of the fourth season, and remained until the end of the series' run (narrative by Joe): “ 'He is Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander. Born in 1592 in the Highlands of Scotland, and he is still alive. He is immortal. For four hundred years, he's been a warrior... a lover... a wanderer, constantly facing other Immortals in combat to the death. The winner takes his enemy's head, and with it, his power. I am a Watcher, part of a secret society of men and women who observe and record, but never interfere. We know the truth about Immortals. In the end, there can be only one. May it be Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander.' Production history Highlander: The Series originated in Europe.Christopher Lambert, who starred in the first two Highlander movies, had previously worked with French leading entertainment conglomerate Gaumont's president Christian Charret. Lambert knew that Highlander producers Peter Davis and Bill Panzer wanted to make a Highlander series and connected them with Charret in 1991 during the Cannes film festival at the time.. Gaumont bought the rights to the series. Highlander was one of the first project developed by Gaumont's television branch opened in 1992 and one of its financial backers was the French bank Credit du Nord. The French leading production company Gaumont Television bought the rights to the series to have it produced in syndication in America with a local crew, a ground-breaking move at the time. Highlander marked the first time a French production company was creatively involved in a show intended for the American market. The show was co-produced in syndication by international partners including Gaumont, RTL Plus (Germany), Rysher Distribution (United States), Reteitalia Productions (Italy), Amuse Video (Japan) and TF1 (France). The budget of the first season was US$26.1 million. Keith Samples, president of Rysher, stated that "about 75% of the guaranteed budget came from overseas sales." The remaining 25% came from United States sales and the producers retained the distribution rights, which allowed the show to produce $800,000 per episode only from international income, believed to be the top result of the 1992-1993 season. To secure an adequate share of European content, and as a result of the co-production agreement, each season was divided into two segments, the first segment was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (posing at the fictional location of Seacouver, Washington, United States), the second in Paris, France. The production of the first segment began in Vancouver on 13 July 1992, while the production of the second segment started in December 1992 in Paris and used the studios of French state production agency Société Française de Production (SFP) at Bry-sur-Marne near Paris. The executive producers were Bill Panzer, Peter S. Davis, Gaumont Television president Christian Charret and Gaumont co-production chief Marla Ginsburg. Steven Maier, Sheryl Hardy and Guy Collins were co-executive producers. Kevin Droney and Philip John Taylor were supervising producers at the beginning of the season; from the seventh episode onwards, David Abramowitz became supervising producer instead of Taylor.15 The producers were Barry Rosen and Gary Goodman. Executives in charge of production were Marc du Pontavice and Denis Leroy. Scripts were contributed by both staff and freelance writers, Brian Clemens among the latter. Brent-Carl Clackson was line producer on the Vancouver segment, from episode one to thirteen. When production moved to Paris, Clackson was succeeded by Patrick Millet (with the title of production manager) for episodes fourteen to twenty-two. The regular directors were Thomas J. Wright, Jorge Montesi and Ray Austin. The fencing coach was Bob Anderson, who coined for himself the title of Master of Swords. Anderson choreographed the fights on the Vancouver segment, then was succeeded by Peter Diamond, credited as second unit director and stunt coordinator on the Paris segment. The opening theme was "Princes of the Universe" from the 1986 album A Kind of Magic by Queen; incidental music was composed by Roger Bellon..The pilot episode was originally intended to be a third Highlander Movie (To act as a TV movie),but the low budget and Lambert agreeing to reprise his role as Conner Macleod late into production caused the pilot to be written as a 1 hour pilot. Casting the title character Christopher Lambert did not wish to do television, though he agreed that there should be a series, and originally Connor MacLeod was to be the protagonist. After Lambert declined, and because there were still films being made with the Connor character, it was decided at Adrian Paul's request to have the series focus on another MacLeod. Lambert agreed to appear in the pilot and pass the torch. They were only able to afford him for three days of filming. Lambert declined to do any future episodes. Alastair Duncan was the original choice to play the lead before Adrian Paul was cast. Duncan later appeared as Immortal Terence Coventry in the fifth season. British Martial artist and Actor Gary Daniels was also a hot favorite for the lead role. Alexis Denisoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fame also auditioned for the lead role. Adrian Paul beat out 400 hopefuls for the lead role. Originally, the actor was a tough sell to the investors because he was an unknown (though he played Russian ballet dancer Kolya in The Colbys). But some of the producers felt that he would appeal to both men and women fans of the franchise. Paul reminded them of a young Sean Connery. Adrian said in an interview that he was drawn to the series because it had so many layers: history, romance, adventure, spirituality. Reception Critical reaction to Highlander: The Series has been generally favorable, and more favorable in general than the film sequels to the original Highlander, which have mostly received negative reviews (with the exception of the animated film Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, which has received mostly favorable reviews). Rob Lineberger of DVD Verdict said, "The direction is sometimes uncertain, but Highlander: The Series gives viewers something unique and inspiring. Each episode gives us a provocative glimpse into the trials and concerns of immortality, great swordfights, stylish flashbacks to bygone eras, and occasionally wicked immortals with awesome quickenings. Lineberger added, "These actors, writers, producers, directors, and crew delivered one of television's great successes, particularly in the fantasy genre. Highlander: The Series took us to places we otherwise could not have gone, and did so with intelligence, style, and wit. Lineberger gave the six seasons scores of 92, 93, 90, 92, 87, and 70 out of 100, respectively. Abbie Bernstein of Audio Video Revolution said, "Although it would be another two years until the series fully hit its stride, it was already the first season offering something out of the ordinary narratively; in terms of production value, it remains one of the best-looking quasi-period shows ever to come down the pike, holding its own and then some against much better-funded product from the major studios. David Oliver of CHUD said that "whereas the sequels ultimately strayed from the mythology of the original film in the pursuit of more storytelling (translation: more money), the series built upon the mythology." Carlo Cavagna of About Film criticized the series, saying that it consisted of "pedestrian one-hour confrontations pitting Duncan MacLeod against one overacting nefarious immortal after another, each a pale imitation of Clancy Brown's delicious overarching villainy in the first film," and felt that the series featured "a wide array of unappealing supporting characters" and that "the writers didn't know what to do with the Highlander concept.Similarly, Danél Griffin of Film as Art remarked that "the six-season Highlander: The Series has a loyal following, but let’s be honest: Adrian Paul, the lead, is not an interesting actor, and there’s not one moment in the show—not one—that comes close to matching the wit or liveliness of the first film. Critics have pointed to the middle seasons of the show as its best. Lineberger remarked, "There was a dramatic boost in quality from season one to season two. Season two had better writing and quality control, and season three is better than season two.Bernstein claimed that "during season five, show was at the peak of its creative glory. Kathie Huddleston of SCI FI said that "season four was arguably the best season of the series, as the show said goodbye to characters from the previous season and delved into what made the regulars and the most notable recurring characters tick. Critics have also singled out the sixth and final season as the worst of the series. Lineberger remarked, "I haven't attempted to hide my disappointment with this season. For the first time ever in my life as a Highlander enthusiast, I found myself utterly uncaptivated. Oliver awarded the sixth season a score of 3.9 out of 10, saying: "Like The X-Files, Highlander: The Series simply went on too long. If the star is wanting to get out of a show as much as Paul was ready to hang up his katana, then I say let it go Films The series continued in Highlander: Endgame (2000) and Highlander: The Source (2007). The films feature Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod, Peter Wingfield as Methos and Jim Byrnes as Joe Dawson. Highlander: Endgame When Connor Macleod(Christopher Lambert) sees his adopted daughter Rachel die in an explosion, he's had it with his immortal life and the endless pain it brings him and those he loves. He locks himself inside the Sanctuary, a Watcher-organized retreat where immortals who are tired of the game can go to forever escape it, as well as to ensure that The Prize never falls into the wrong hands. But when an old enemy, Jacob Kell(Bruce Payne), and his posse of assassins attack the Sanctuary and kill everyone there but Connor, he is forced out into the open and into battle. Kell and Connor were friends once, and knew each other back when Connor was cast from Glenfinnan; he returned when news came that his mother was to be burned at the stake, and in the attempt to free her, Kell was killed by none other than Connor himself, and became an immortal, bitter with hate, and devoted to making Connor's life a living hell. In the present day, Connor's kinsman Duncan Macleod is attacked by Kell's posse, including Kate, an old love of Duncan's who seeks revenge for her unwillingly being made an immortal centuries ago. This attack had something to do with Connor, and Duncan goes in search of him to find out why. In the process, he learns that in the 450 years since Connor and Kell's encounter in Glenfinnan, Kell has taken more than 600 heads and gained enough power to be called nothing less than the most powerful immortal alive. To make things worse, neither Connor nor Duncan are strong enough to face Kell alone. Highlander: The Source This movie was released as a TV movie where it premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel. The world is falling into chaos in the near future. As he roams a crumbling city, Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander, remembers happier times before the love of his life left... Hopeless and alone, MacLeod finds his way to a band of immortal companions, including his mysterious friend Methos, and a mortal, Watcher Joe Dawson. Together this small group of Immortals sets out on a quest to find the origin of the first Immortal and The Source of their immortality. The movies ending had his wife Anna(Thekla Reuten) tell Duncan that she is expecting his child. Duncan simply says that the baby "Is the ONE". None of the movies were successful. Although Endgame was well received when the DVD was released. It was re-edited and had better soundtrack and visuals than the theatrical version. The Source on the other hand was met with hostility from fans who hated the storyline and the death of Joe Dawson. Critics also bashed the movie saying that it was like the second film only worse. There were plans to have the source be the first in a new trilogy. But the idea was dropped. Adrian Paul and Peter Wingfield both expressed regret at making the film and as a result, the film is ignored by fans and producers alike. The film is considered by many as the one that killed the franchise. Highlander: The Raven Plans for a spin-off series led to a group of sixth-season episodes focusing on five new female Immortals (called Fimmies by fandom) in the original Highlander series. The candidates were introduced; such as Alex Raven (played by Dara Tomanovich), Katherine (played by Claudia Christian), Kyra (played by Alice Evans), Katya (played by Justina Vail), and Reagan Cole (played by Sandra Hess). None of the new characters introduced in the spin-off episodes proved satisfactory, however, and the spin-off went to Elizabeth Gracen as the popular character Amanda. The spin-off only lasted one season due to low rating and the change in the marketing of syndicated shows.Highlander Raven was given to Amanda because the fan reaction was negative concerning the season six female Immortal guest stars according to the behind the scene interviews and the watcher's guide book. The Methos Chronicles The 2001 The Methos Chronicles was an animated Internet Flash-series based on Methos, a character drawn from the television series. Peter Wingfield was the voice actor for the main character of the short series, which lasted only one eight-episode season. There was some plan to develop a live-action series in the early 2000s, and Peter Wingfield was willing to participate. However, since then there hasn't been any significant news. Reunion In 2008, a reunion special was filmed starring Peter Wingfield, Elizabeth Gracen, and Jim Byrnes reprising their roles. The 17 minute special was a low budget project that takes place 10 years after the series (or between the fourth and fifth movies). Filming took place at producer Peter Davis' beach home with the actors volunteering in their roles. The plot involved the characters discussing Methos' plans to get married and settle down with a mortal woman and her son. Season Storylines Season One Our story starts with an intimate moment disturbed. Duncan MacLeod and Tessa Noel have been living in a city in the Pacific North West for several years, where they run an antiques store. One night, a young street punk called Richie Ryan breaks in to the shop whilst they are celebrating Tessa's birthday, but is caught by MacLeod, who threatens to cut off his head with a sword. Stunned by MacLeod's seeming over-reaction, Richie watches in disbelief as another man jumps in through the skylight and challenges the antiques dealer, only to be disconcerted by the appearance of a third man with a japanese sword, who is in turn hunting him. The intruder is Slan Quince, who is hunting Duncan, unaware that he is himself the target of Duncan's kinsman, Connor MacLeod. Intrigued, the kid follows the MacLeods, only to see first Connor, then Duncan fight Slan. He sees Connor defeated, but escape, leaving Duncan to behead Quince. Amazed, he watches Duncan caught at the centre of lightning and explosions as he witnesses, for the first time, a Quickening. Before he leaves, Connor tells Duncan that he must watch Richie, which Duncan does by taking in the boy, who has no family, and employing him in the antiques store. After what he has seen, MacLeod also tells Richie the truth about himself and the others - that he is 400 years old and he, like them, is Immortal. As the series progressed, Macleod encountered Immortals like Howard Crowley whom he killed in revenge for killing an Immortal friend of his and framing an innocent man for it, Kiem Sun and taking in an Immortal student Felice Martens. He even saves Tessa from Immortals like survivalist Caleb Cole(For the first and only time in the series, Tessa sees Duncan caught in the power of a Quickening) and Andrew Ballin who wanted to kill her after she witnessed him killing his former lover. Alexei Voshin, with whom he has an old score to settle. And Walter Reinhardt. However, the series was about to improve dramatically, taking on a darker, harder edge. The idyllic life of Duncan and Tessa was to be shattered forever by the arrival of a message from one of Mac's teacher, the priest Darius, in [http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs113.html "Band Of Brothers"]. Darius' most powerful enemy, Grayson, was coming to Seacouver, to eliminate a mortal peacemaker and disciple of Darius, Viktor Paulus. Grayson was a lieutenant of Darius when they led an army across Europe in the 5th century, but turned against him when Darius killed the then oldest living Immortal at the gates of Paris and became a man of peace Determined to protect Tessa and Richie, but uncertain of his ability to handle Grayson, he sends them to Darius for protection, then sets out to face Grayson. Grayson, a fellow Scot, offers MacLeod a position at his right hand, but Duncan refuses. In what is probably the best fight in the series, Grayson takes MacLeod to the limit before the younger Highlander prevails. MacLeod follows his friends to Paris, where he and Tessa decide to stay, living on Duncan's barge; Tessa takes up a post as a curator, Duncan takes up the role of a kept man and Richie that of a fish out of water. n his role as a kept man, Duncan does the shopping, but as he is returning to the barge one morning, he sees a clown dressed as a mime kill an elderly man, ("For Evil's Sake"). Helping the police, he tells them that he could identify the man. The police inspector, LeBrun, is convinced he has seen Duncan before. Later, mysterious men with guns stake out the barge and, when Duncan fells one, he finds that he is a policeman. LeBrun has remembered Duncan - when he was a young gendarme, they were chasing the assassin Kuyler and he saw Duncan then. LeBrun's assistant is in Kuyler's pay, but Duncan silences the mime forever and LeBrun arrests his assistant. Duncan hasn't finished with LeBrun, for when his old enemy Xavier St Cloud crosses his path again, Duncan throws one of Xavier's gas grenades into a cement mixer and LeBrun fishes it out, (''[http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs115.html ''"For Tomorrow We Die"])''. Convinced MacLeod is the gas poisoner, LeBrun tries to run him in whilst, in a race against time, Duncan has to stop Xavier from gassing an exhibition Tessa is organising. Frustrated, Xavier comes for Duncan, but in the fight, Duncan cuts off Xavier's hand and he disappears into the Seine. The series also introduced two old Immortal lovers of Duncan’s. to test Tessa's restraint. Grace Chandel, on the run both from the police, who want to arrest her for killing her husband, and the Immortal ex-lover who was the real killer, the possessive Carlo Sendaro, ([http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs117.html ''"Saving Grace"]), was welcomed by Tessa, when Duncan and Darius help her escape, Duncan making sure that Carlo will not trouble her again. he same was not true of Amanda, described by Duncan as "a bad habit". It was in [http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs118.html "The Lady & The Tiger"] that we first met the unprincipled cat-burglar with a passion for circuses, robbery and 400-year old Scotsmen, here trying to set up MacLeod so that the Immortal thief she had double crossed, Zachary Blaine, would not take her head. In the end, she takes Zachary's, but not before Duncan has done all the hard work. Which pretty much set the pattern for all of the Amanda stories to come. In the season finale Duncan's old friend, Hugh Fitzcairn, comes to see him, with news that Immortals are disappearing. When they go to see Darius, they find him decapitated inside the church. Returning to Fitz's hotel, they are attacked and Fitz is spirited away, whilst Duncan returns to the church, finding a book hidden by Darius. It is a history of Immortals written by a secret society of mortals. When these mortals come for Duncan, he is ready and follows them back to their hideout, rescuing Fitz, who is about to be guillotined and confronting their leader, a wild eyed fanatic who wants to destroy all Immortals. He gets away, leaving a shattered MacLeod to mourn his friend and teacher. The series ends with MacLeod vowing revenge on the men and pouring Darius' ashes into the Seine, to flow out to the sea. Season Two This Season opened with a new title sequence and a mysterious voice over explaining who Duncan MacLeod is and giving a quick summary of the Rules of the Game. Not so mysterious a voice, as we were to find out, as it is the voice of Joe Dawson. In the first story, "The Watchers", a bitter MacLeod returns to Seacouver, determined to find Darius' killers, but with only the Chronicle left by Darius to guide him. He follows a clue to a bookstore, where the owner, Dawson, denies knowing about the book. When MacLeod chases down two men watching from across the street, Dawson follows and tells Duncan that he is his Watcher, one of a secret society of mortals who observe and record the history of the Immortals, but never interfere. He refuses to believe MacLeod's assertion that Darius was murdered by mortals, but is forced to when the leader of the killers is revealed to be his own brother-in-law, James Horton. MacLeod confronts Horton, who shoots him, but not before MacLeod extracts his vengeance for Darius and runs Horton through with his sword.Believing Horton dead, but now aware of the Watchers, MacLeod carries on with his life and tries to help two old friends, but with differing results. Gregor Powers has become a photographer but has lost touch with his humanity, pushing his feelings for others away to avoid the recurring pain of loss, ("Studies In Light"). Duncan helps him to learn to value his life and the gift of his Immortality, whilst watching his own former lover, Linda Plager, who is mortal, die of old age and infirmity. Soon after, another Immortal friend, Michael Moore, appears, looking for Mac's help in hunting down Quenten Barnes, Michael's long time enemy, who has reappeared after a long absence, ("Turnabout"). Also reappearing is Joe Dawson, who tries to enlist Duncan's help, as Barnes is hunting down and killing the men who tried and executed him years before. Barnes was buried and has only recently been disinterred. An uneasy peace is struck between Watcher and Immortal, as the terrible truth dawns - Michael is Quenten Barnes, the two sides of his personality fragmented into a schizophrenic existence. As Quenten slowly takes permanent control, Michael pleads with Duncan to end it and MacLeod kills his friend. During this episode, Mac takes Richie to a martial arts gym, or "dojo", run by Charlie DeSalvo, where they intend to train. All thoughts of extra-curricular activities are put aside as the reopening of the shop gets nearer. After a spooky encounter with a palm reader reminds Mac of the gypsies' warning that he will never marry, he tempts fate by asking Tessa to marry him. Overjoyed, she accepts and, as they plan the wedding, Mac is lured from the shop by a group of Watchers, whose leader, Pallin Wolf, stuns Richie and kidnaps Tessa. Using her as a lure, he entices MacLeod to his home, where he has a lightless room in which he hunts and kills Immortals, using a nightscope to see his prey, a la "Silence Of The Lambs". Fate smiles on Mac by allowing him to defeat Wolf and rescue Tessa despite "The Darkness", but he makes a decision that will haunt him. Sending Tessa with Richie, he stays to rifle the man's files, but as they leave, they are mugged and shot. MacLeod runs out to find them dead in the street. As he holds Tessa in his arms, Richie revives, a newborn Immortal. Grief stricken, MacLeod sells the store. The dojo where he and Richie train is up for sale and by the beginning of "An Eye For An Eye", Duncan has bought it, moving into the loft on the floor above it. Charlie DeSalvo stays on as manager, but the peace does not last long. Richie and Mac break up an attempt to kill the British Ambassador, but one of the IRA terrorists is killed in the process. His wife, Immortal Annie Devlin, swears revenge on Richie and ignores Duncan's plea to let the matter go, even though she is an old friend of his. Realising Annie is serious, Duncan puts Richie through a crash course in swordsmanship, but advises him to get out of town. Richie elects to face Annie and defeats her, but cannot bring himself to take her head. Annie accepts her own life back, in lieu of taking Richie's, and leaves. Later, Mac gives Richie a Toledo Rapier as his own sword. Mid season saw the return of Xavier St. Cloud who when Xavier St Cloud walks into the dojo, accompanied by two mortal gunmen who try to kill Mac and Charlie. Xavier, sporting a mechanical hand to replace the one Duncan cut off in "For Tomorrow We Die", has a new way of surviving in the Game, and an unexpected friend. Duncan discovers that they are not the only ones interested in Xavier, as Army Intelligence are after the mercenaries and he finds an unlikely ally in Special Agent Renee Delaney. Tracking the mercenaries to a warehouse, Duncan confronts Xavier, but the tables are turned when James Horton appears and shoots both Duncan and Charlie. Xavier is unable to kill MacLeod, who escapes as Delaney and the police arrive. At the hospital, Duncan sees Dawson and confronts him about Horton. Dawson denies that Horton is alive, but Duncan breaks open Horton's tomb, to find it empty. Horton is waiting at the tomb, safe on Holy Ground, and taunts Duncan that he is the man MacLeod cannot kill. Mac follows Dawson to a waterfront rendezvous, where he sees him meet Horton. When Dawson gets home, he finds MacLeod waiting for him and Duncan promises him that the next time they meet, it will be the last. A critically injured Charlie cannot understand how MacLeod, who he saw shot through the heart, is alive and walking around and Mac promises to tell Charlie the truth before he dies. Whilst MacLeod and Delaney try to work out their next move, and whether it's to go to bed together, Dawson surprises everyone by turning up at the dojo with the address of Horton's hideout, a waterfront warehouse. He swears that he didn't know what Horton was up to and tells MacLeod that, after Duncan gutted him in "The Watchers", Horton was thrown out of the Watchers and sent abroad to recuperate and live quietly. Duncan goes to the warehouse and, when Xavier feels him approach, he escapes with Horton in a helicopter, but Duncan tracks them to Paris. Leaving Charlie to recover, MacLeod goes after them. Arriving in France, Duncan is amazed to find Renee Delaney waiting for him at the airport. She used the US airforce to race him across the Atlantic and threatens to have his passport revoked if he doesn't help her. She drops Mac at the barge, which has been moved by the police when the Seine flooded. Haunted by memories of Tessa, Mac reluctantly goes on board, only to find a middle aged Frenchman in residence. Maurice, from the boat next door, is the inveterate scrounger, but will become a friend and innocent ally for MacLeod. After evicting Maurice, Duncan meets Delaney to plan their next move, only to find it planned for them. A mercenary hired by Horton tries to kill them, but is shot by Delaney. As she tries to explain her actions to the Sûrete, Duncan uses a cufflink dropped by the getaway driver to identify him as a disgraced cavalry officer. Learning that the dead man was a member of a rich family, Delaney is at a loss how to proceed, but they learn that the family had a stables. They call at the stables, interrupting Horton and Xavier, who are planning a raid on the barge. Xavier escapes, but Horton is shot by the mysteriously well-informed Joe Dawson, who appears in the nick of time. Using his contacts from his days as a chef, Maurice helps MacLeod to locate Xavier, by tracking the source of his favourite golden caviar. Mac makes a special delivery and Xavier loses his head. In the closing shot of the episode, we see that James Horton is still alive. Duncan had never killed a woman until he met Nefertiri, an Egyptian handmaiden to Cleopatra, ("Pharaoh's Daughter"). Trying to help Nefertiri to come to terms with nearly 2,000 years of change proves impossible when she murders the mortal wife of the Roman who ransacked Cleopatra's palace. When Marcus Constantine will not fight Nefertiri, who he loved, Duncan is forced to and takes her head. Amanda appears in Paris, looking for revenge in [http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs219.html "Legacy"]. Her teacher, Rebecca, has been killed by another of her students, Luther, who is trying to gather together all the pieces of a crystal Rebecca once owned. She had given each of her students a shard from it and Luther is killing them all, one by one, believing that possession of the whole thing will grant him the power beyond all other Immortals. Amanda goes to face Luther, who defeats her, but Duncan has the last piece of the crystal and Luther goes after him instead, losing his head in the process. Richie appears at the barge, being hunted by the police for murders across Europe. The murders were committed by Martin Hyde, who has a long established technique of harassing young Immortals, to make them run back to their teachers, who Hyde then kills, as there is nothing like the Quickening of a seasoned Immortal. Mac proves Richie's innocence and the police close the case, believing Hyde dead. Mac confronts Hyde, who believes Duncan is not good enough to take him. MacLeod shows Hyde that he is wrong. Recovering from his encounter with the law, Richie is startled to find himself surrounded by Watchers at a funfair. He escapes them with the aid of a passing youth, Pete Wilder, who takes him to the barge. When the Immortals return to the funfair, the Watcher tattoos have mysteriously vanished from Richie's attackers. This is an elaborate plot set in train by James Horton, who kidnaps a woman from a prison and subjects her to plastic surgery and intensive coaching in a new identity. Richie grows to trust his rescuer, unlike Duncan, who is suspicious. After a series of set pieces, opinion is strongly divided between the friends about Pete, leading to Mac setting up a trap to prove he is right. The trap is sprung, only for Pete to be shot by Horton, who wants the two Immortals divided. With Richie and Mac at odds, Horton sends the surgically altered woman after MacLeod. She is a doppleganger of Tessa, a "Counterfeit" called Lisa Milon. Whilst Mac tries to distinguish reality from illusion, it is Richie's turn to be suspicious, especially when he is shot protecting Joe Dawson. Now knowing that Horton is alive, Mac, Joe and Richie have to play Horton's game. Lisa is kidnapped and Duncan rescues her, but she takes him to Tessa's grave, only to find that Duncan is not the fool she took him for. Hearing a gunshot and believing that Lisa has shot Duncan, Horton comes to cut off his head, only to find MacLeod waiting for him. His plan turned back on himself, Horton flees, after killing Lisa, but Mac catches him off Holy Ground and proves that, unlike his taunt in "Unholy Alliance", Horton is not a man he cannot kill. Mac decides that he has mourned Tessa long enough and, after selling the barge, returns to Seacouver with Richie. Season Three Duncan takes Anne to a recital by a choir of monks, one of whom, Paul, is an Immortal. Neither man realises that the song being sung is "The Song Of The Executioner", as the unseen impresario who organised the concert is Kalas, an Immortal with scores to settle with both Duncan and Paul. Kalas kills Paul and then sets about destroying MacLeod, first by framing Joe for dealing drugs then by killing two of Anne's patients and fabricating hospital records to make it look like she is responsible. Duncan realises that Kalas is behind this and, having cleared Joe and Anne, confronts his enemy. As they fight, Anne sees Duncan fall to his death, but Richie gets her away before Duncan revives. In the midst of this, Richie embarks on a new career in motorcycle racing. Rather than tell Anne the truth, especially with Kalas at large, Duncan leaves Seacouver, arranging for Maurice to buy back the barge in Paris. Arriving in Paris, Duncan is greeted by Hugh Fitzcairn, who is teaching cookery at the Cordon Bleu, ("Star Crossed"). The normally philandering Fitz is in love but has a rival, who tries to kill him by running the two Immortals off the road. At the same time, Richie arrives in France, looking to build on his American successes in motorcycling. Whilst Fitz tells Duncan he should trust Anne, Kalas frames Fitz for the murder of his rival. On the run, Fitz is confronted by Kalas, who beheads him as MacLeod helplessly watches.When Duncan comes for Kalas, his nemesis escapes into a cloud of steam. Determined to finish Kalas, Duncan seeks Joe's help. Kalas owns a nightclub and Duncan "persuades" the bartender to tell him where Kalas has gone. Kalas has captured his own Watcher and is looking for information on[http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs316.html "Methos"], the legendary oldest Immortal. After Kalas kills one of the Watchers' historians, Donald Salzer, Dawson sends Duncan to a researcher on the Methos Chronicle, Adam Pierson. Duncan is stunned to find that Pierson is Methos. Kalas confronts Methos, who escapes and sets up Duncan to take his head, realising that he cannot handle Kalas, but Duncan could. Duncan refuses, but when he confronts Kalas at Methos' apartment, their fight is interrupted by the police, who arrest Kalas for Salzer's murder after Adam Pierson identifies Kalas. Before he vanishes from Paris, Methos tells Duncan that he couldn't take the chance on Kalas winning. In the two part season Finale, Amanda arrives at the barge, being very, very nice to Duncan, which always arouses his suspicions, ("Finale"). Eventually, she tells him that she broke Kalas out of jail, to kill him, but that Kalas got away. Kalas, using the thugs employed by his cellmate, wastes no time in coming for MacLeod and, as Duncan and Amanda try to find him, finds Maurice, who Duncan rescues in the nick of time and sends out of Paris. Kalas captures Amanda, intending to use her as bait, but she escapes. A new problem arises, when Joe Dawson and Methos arrive at the barge. Christine Salzer, the widow of Donald Salzer, the historian Kalas murdered, has found a database created for the Watchers and intends to give it to the newspapers. Dawson tries to stop her, even trying to shoot her, but MacLeod prevents him from becoming a murderer, taking the bullet himself. As the Immortals think that their secret will be on CNN, Kalas intercepts Christine and kills her, taking the vital disk. He uses the information to find the European head of the Watchers and kills him. He gives Duncan a choice - surrender to him or Kalas will broadcast the information on the disk. Watchers and Immortals combine to hunt Kalas down. Methos tells Duncan to fight Kalas and Amanda and Duncan, faced with the destruction of their world, finally admit their feelings for each other openly. Duncan faces Kalas on the top of the Eiffel Tower and takes his enemy's head. The Quickening of such a powerful Immortal surges through the steelwork of the tower and overloads the Paris power grid, plunging the city into darkness and, in the process, blowing up Kalas' computer and destroying the disk. After celebrating Duncan's victory over Kalas and remembering Paul and Fitzcairn, Joe and Methos leave Duncan and Amanda alone to work out how much of what they said to each other they really want to take back. Season Five Duncan returns to Seacouver. There, he finds the Immortal Cassandra waiting for him. She is being hunted by Roland Kantos, one of her students, and she tells Duncan of a "Prophecy" that he will defeat great evil. Kantos relies on the hypnotic power of his voice to defeat his opponents, but Duncan, after nearly losing his head to Kantos' tricks, defeats the mesmerist by plugging his ears. Joe comes to the dojo and gets the cold shoulder from Duncan, but before he leaves, he tells MacLeod that Richie is in town, ([http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs503.html "The End Of Innocence"]). Duncan tries to make his peace with Richie, but the young Immortal is still plagued by nightmares after Duncan almost killed him in [http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs413.html "Something Wicked"]and warns Duncan to stay away from him. When Richie challenges and kills Carter Wellan, his mentor HareshClay comes for Richie, breaking his sword. Richie is arrested trying to steal another one from a museum and is bailed out by Duncan, who warns him that Clay is as good as they come and gives him a sword. The two Immortals work out their differences and, now acting as equals, it is Duncan who asks Richie to stand aside as he avenges his humiliation at Clay's hands when they first met and takes his head. In the episode Manhunt, Carl Robinson has moved from the minor leagues to the majors and is now a baseball superstar, until the day an Immortal challenges him at the baseball ground and Carl is identified as his killer. A "Manhunt" begins for the Immortal, led by Matthew McCormick, Carl's teacher, who has a score to settle with Carl from long ago. Carl was a slave and his owner was McCormick's father-in-law. When Carl killed his owner, Matthew swore revenge, but MacLeod is able to persuade him to let it be and they arrange for Carl's very public "death", so that he can slip quietly away and begin a new life again. The series also brought humour to the intence story with Dramatic Licence in which a steamy new bestseller written by Carolyn Marsh, about the events from Duncan's past - events about which she should know nothing. Her book retells his story, using his name. Intrigued and alarmed, Duncan investigates, only to find that Terence Coventry, another Immortal, is also hunting Carolyn, but because she has made him the villain of the book. Less than flattered, Coventry wants revenge, but it is left for Amanda to discover the truth - Carolyn is Coventry's wife and is tired of his stories of the past, wanting to live with him in the here and now. Mid way into the season, Uncertain of what to do next, Duncan and Cassandra enlist the help of Joe Dawson, at the beginning of [http://www.pedmonds.f9.co.uk/highlander/hl_zs513.html "Revelation 6:8"], to locate one of the two remaining Horsemen, Caspian, who is imprisoned in a Romanian psychiatric hospital. By the time they get there, they find Caspian gone, freed by Kronos. Casually dropped on his cell floor is a matchbook for a hotel in Bordeaux and the two Immortals go there, hoping it is a clue and not a trap. Methos arranges to met MacLeod without Cassandra and tells him that he has led Kronos to the fourth Horseman, Silas, and the four are now reunited to implement Kronos' plan to unleash a plague virus on the world if the world does not bow down before the Horsemen. He also tells MacLeod why Cassandra hates him so much - he enslaved her after she became Immortal. Whilst MacLeod defuses the first viral bomb, Kronos kidnaps Cassandra and send Silas and Caspian after Duncan. MacLeod takes Caspian's head and escapes from Silas by jumping off a bridge mid-Quickening. Knowing that Kronos must be using laboratory animals, Duncan tracks a shipment of monkeys to an abandoned submarine base and confronts the three remaining Horsemen. As Kronos and MacLeod fight, Methos prevents Silas from killing Cassandra and takes the head of his "brother" as Duncan ends Kronos' life. The twin Quickenings intersect dramatically as they rip through the submarine pens. Freed, Cassandra rushes to take the head of the weakened Methos, but is prevented by MacLeod. Later, Duncan accuses Methos of setting the whole thing up, to resolve his problems with Kronos and the two part, uncertain in their friendship. In the shocking season ender introduced a story arc involving Duncan being a chosen warrior against an ancient evil., Returning to the barge one evening from the Opera, Duncan and Richie are accosted by an elderly man who says he has come to warn MacLeod, but before they can speak to him, Duncan sees a familiar figure watching them - James Horton. Horton vanishes and the Immortals find the old man dead on the Quai. The next day, they find Horton's grave opened, as Joe Dawson prepares to fly the coffin back to Chicago in secret. Despite seeing a body in the coffin, MacLeod is not convinced that Horton isn't dead. The man on the Quai was Jason Landry, a noted archaelogist, and Duncan goes to see his daughter. They discover Duncan is named in Landry's papers as the champion who will fight and vanquish the demon Ahriman, who walks the Earth every thousand years. Unwilling to be cast in the role of the Champion who must face the "Archangel", MacLeod is taunted by Ahriman, who appears as Kronos and Alison Landry, who the demon kills. Richie seeks the help of Joe and Methos, who have their doubts about the existence of a Zoroastrian demon in 20th century Paris. As Joe and Methos talk with Duncan, Richie sees Joe as a prisoner of Horton and follows the illusion to an abandoned racecourse. He telephones Duncan to let him know, but rings off before MacLeod can tell him he is being deceived. Followed by Joe and Methos, Duncan goes to the racecourse and confronts Ahriman, who takes the form of Horton, Kronos and Richie, each in turn darting from the shadows at the Highlander. As they come, he strikes at them with his sword and takes the head of one of them, only to find that he has beheaded the real Richie. Joe and Methos arrive to find MacLeod kneeling over his dead student and, when Methos refuses to kill Duncan who offers his katana to him, the Highlander takes Richie's glove and walks away, leaving behind his friends and his sword, and vanishes into the night. Season Six. Season five was originally intended to be the final season in the series. But towards the end of the series, the show was renewed for a six year. By he time this happened, the original stars already had other commitments to other projects so were only available for one to two months. The series dealt with the Arihman story arc in the first two episodes. A majority of the season dealt with Duncan meeting some female Immortals whom he encountered and others he didn’t. The producers were experimenting to look for a replacement to Duncan for the planned Spin-off Highlander ;The Raven. Audio Plays Season One In 2009 Big Finish released a series of four audio adventures featuring Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod. They are set sometime after the events of Endgame. These are: The Lesson - Of all the sword fights Duncan MacLeod has fought over the centuries, the toughest have been against an Immortal named Pieter Gatlan. Starring Adrian Paul and Trevor Cooper. Written by Trevor Baxendale. Love and Hate - A roof-top duel between sword-wielding combatants becomes the talk of Seacouver – but Duncan is perplexed when both bodies are found with their heads intact. Starring Adrian Paul and Beth Chalmers. Written by Colin Harvey. The Secret of the Sword - Duncan MacLeod knows a lot about swords. Everyone knows that, so he’s called in to help Seacouver police value an antique blade. But then, when he sees the sword – there might be more to his involvement than he originally thought… Starring Adrian Paul and Toby Longworth. Written by Jonathan Clements. Kurgan Rising - With an increasing number of Immortals disappearing, Duncan and Watcher Joe Dawson decide to investigate, but nothing can prepare the Highlander for what he will find: an ancient terror reborn! Starring Adrian Paul and Toby Longworth. Written by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright. Each play in the first season is around an hour long, and contains a new music score and new Highlander audio theme by Jamie Robertson Season Two A second season of four plays was announced in August 2009, to be produced by Paul Spragg and script edited by James Swallow. Books and Comics Books Unlike many television series, the Highlander: The Series novels are apparently considered to be canon. Events from them are included in the Watcher Chronicles CD-ROM,which contains an extensive database of the events and immortals of the television series. Highlander: The Element of Fire, by Jason Henderson — The chronicles of Duncan's training days with Connor MacLeod; the friendship between the two Highlanders through the centuries. A bloodthirsty and immortal pirate Khordas vows to kill the Highlander, making up for a fearsome enemy that haunts them for hundreds of years. Highlander: Scimitar, by Ashley McConnell - When Joe Dawson receives an ancient sword, it triggers Duncan's remembrance of his involvement in the Arab Revolt in 1916. Highlander: Scotland the Brave, by Jennifer Roberson - Annie Devlin returns to draw Duncan into a new quest to win independence for Ireland. He is reluctant, given his history with failed attempts to free his homeland, including his culpability in the fate of the Stone of Scone. Highlander: Measure of a Man by Nancy Holder - In Venice, Italy 1655, Duncan meets legendary manipulator - and, apparently, Immortal - Niccolò Machiavelli. Duncan only narrowly escaped Machiavelli's machinations once; he may not be so lucky when the Prince of Lies resurfaces in 20th century North America. Highlander: The Path by Rebecca Neason - In 1781 Duncan meets a different kind of Immortal - the Dalai Lama. Soon the Highlander embarks on the path to enlightenment and peace. But that peace may be short-lived when the Immortal Nasiradeen invades Tibet. Highlander: Zealot by Donna Lettow - Duncan MacLeod was there when Avram Mordecai fought the enemies of his Jewish people in World War II, as he has for two thousand years. Now he finds himself trapped between his honor and his loyalties when he protects a Palestinian diplomat from his old friend. Highlander: Shadow of Obsession by Rebecca Neason - Once Darius was a man of war, laying siege to Rome. Centuries later, as a man of God, Darius touched the life of Duncan MacLeod. Now a spurned lover from Darius' warrior days returns for revenge against all he called friend. Highlander: The Captive Soul by Josepha Sherman - Three millennia past, Methos aided the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs when the Hyksos invaded. He reluctantly becomes a spy inside the Hyksos royal house, when he meets the Immortal - and thoroughly insane - Prince Khyan. Methos misses his chance to take the madman's head, a mistake that returns to haunt him as the Oldest Immortal in New York when Khyan returns to find his sword, killing all in his path. Highlander: White Silence by Ginjer Buchanan - MacLeod, Hugh Fitzcairn and his young apprentice get trapped in the frozen Yukon. There they face their deaths... over and over and over again. Highlander: An Evening at Joe's - An anthology written by the cast and crew of Highlander: The Series. Comics In October 2006, a Highlander comic book series started, based on the Highlander movies and TV series and published by Dynamite Entertainment. Following the TV series' continuity, the first comic arc, written by Brandon Jerwa and Michael Avon Oeming, follows Connor MacLeod after defeating The Kurgan. Duncan Macleod is slowly introduced in a one-off issue teaming him with Connor Macleod, while the second arc Dark Quickening pairs the two immortals together. The last arc of the comic is set after Highlander: Endgame and features Duncan Macleod as the main character, with a ghostly Connor advising him. Methos, Joe, Amanda and Ceirdwyn also feature. After that series ended Dynamite released a shorter mini-series, Highlander: Way of the Sword, which can debatedly be set in the TV Series continuity, and be a stand-alone prequel to the first film, and Highlander Origins: The Kurgan, which similarly can also be set in any timeline. Behind the scenes *The character of Duncan MacLeod was ranked #11 of TV Guide's list of 25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends (August 2004). *Adrian Paul loved doing flashback scenes where he was given the opportunity to wear period clothing. He always wanted to do an episode set entirely in the past, but the opportunity never materialized.8 *Alexandra Vandernoot told the producers that she wanted to leave the series early in the second season. So the writers killed off her character in the episode "The Darkness". *The season-one episode Free Fall was the first episode to be filmed, while Indiscretions was the last episode in the series to be filmed. *Musicians who have made guest appearances on the series include: Roland Gift (Xavier St.Cloud), Lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals. Roger Daltrey (Hugh Fitzcairn),Lead singer of the band The Who. Three hit songs of there are used in the opening credits of the C.S.I shows. Joan Jett (Felicia Martins), Lead singer of the band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sheena Easton (Annie Devlin) Dee Dee Bridgwater (Caroline Lamb) Marcus Testory (Caspian) Vanity (Rebecca Lord) *Duncan's dragon-head katana blades were made out of aluminum which were specially manufactured to fit though the tsuba (hilt) into the handle. The aluminum was so weak that it broke two or three times per fight so they made hundreds of blades. A steel blade would have been prohibitive to all the fast sword play. *Duncan's antiques store and apartment for the first season were intended to be old world in new world environment-rich & textured. *The pilot episode "The Gathering" is Christopher Lambert's first and only appearance in an American series. He was reportedly paid $500,000 for 3 days of shooting. *The name Duncan was chosen at the last minute. It means "dark warrior" in Gaelic. *The character of Marcus Constantine, from Pharaoh's Daughter, was originally envisioned as someone who could replace Darius as an elder to Duncan's younger Immortal; but the role ultimately fell to Methos in season three. *"Band Of Brothers", "Run for your Life", "Legacy", "Homeland", "Comes a Horseman", "Revelations 6:8" and "Indiscretions" are hailed as the best episodes of the series, with "Band of Brothers" considered to be the best episode overall. *The episode The Wrath of Kali was written at the behest of Production Designer Stephen Geaghan, who wanted to stage an episode in an exotic location. *"Homeland", "Revelation 6:8", "Methuselah's Gift", and "The Modern Prometheus" were directed by Adrian Paul. *Unlike most immortals in the series, Duncan does not use an alias. The writers considered giving his some aliases like; Alistair Duncan, Ian MacLeod, Robert O'Neil and Robert Wallace. *Joe Dawson was originally going to be named Ian Dawson and was conceived to be a bookish historian with less world experience. David McCallum and Michael York wanted the role. *Rae Dawn Chong and Lexa Doig both auditioned for the role of Anne Lindsey. *The producers wanted to make a spin-off series featuring Immortal Mathew McCormick (the FBI agent who hunts serial killers). The concept would have had him traveling the US and England investigating crimes, while also dispensing Immortal justice. Kim Johnston-Ulrich (who played Cedirwyn) and Nicholas Lea who played Cory Raines would have had recurring roles in the series. *Methos was originally going to be killed off during the series finale of season three, but the popularity of the character prompted the writers and producers to make him a recurring character. *During the filming of the episode Epitaph for Tommy, guest star Roddy Piper sliced Adrian's hand. The on-set nurse wanted him to go to the hospital, but Adrian refused, wanting to finish the scene first. *Was named one of the most violent TV shows in the early 90's by the Center for Media and Public Affairs. *Adrian Paul loved doing flashback scenes where he was given the opportunity to wear period clothing. *Werner Stocker (Darius) was unable to shoot the last episode of season one due to cancer. That episode, which opened with the character's murder, was edited together with existing footage from earlier episodes for the first scene. Stocker died by the time the episode was aired on TV. *"Archangel" was to be a cliffhanger setting up season six. After Duncan kills Richie, he retreats to a monastery for a year. Season 6 picks up after that year, and Ahriman has taken over most of the world. There is a rebellion. Joe and Methos find Duncan and convince him to get back into the fight. Season six was to concern that struggle. Apparently, Adrian Paul wanted less involvement in Highlander so that he could pursue a movie career. Thus, a new ending to the series was designed. The spin-off series Highlander: The Raven was originally going to focus on Immortal Alex Raven from "Sins of the Father". *Many fans of the series had hoped that "Indiscretions" was a back-door pilot for a Highlander spin-off featuring Methos and Joe. There were attempts to make the spin-off back in 2000, but the series was never made. External links *Complete series available through NewVideoDigital on Youtube.com Category:Highlander TV Series Category:Highlander: The Series